Abstract:

In order to assess the effects of moderate acute normovolemic hemodilution(ANHD)on cerebral blood flow and infarction size in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia, sixteen Wistar rats were randomly assigned into two groups: control group(n=8)and ANHD group(n=8). The Hct of the animals in ANHD group was reduced to 30.7%. Cortical local cerebral blood flow(LCBF)was monitored in both groups before and during the 120 min occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery with laser Doppler flowmetry. The infarction size of each brain was determined at 24 h after ischemia. LCBF significantly decreased in both groups(P<0.01). The decreasing degree of the ANHD group was significantly lower than that of the contral group(P<0.01), and its cerebral infarction size was significantly smaller than that of the control group(P<0.05 or P<0.01). The results indicate that moderate ANHD increases cortical LCBF and decreases cerebral infarction size in a rat model of focal ischemia. It has a protective effect on cerebral ischemia.

Key words: hemodilution, cerebral ischemia, cerebral blood flow, cerebral infarction